Dance Like No One's Watching
by Stixer111
Summary: The Morinomiya dance studio's Annual Programme is coming up, and Ryu is finally chosen to perform a solo. Now he just has to get through the Salsa routine from hell, come up with a solo that will move the audience to tears, and not fall for his distractingly handsome partner. No big deal.


_**A/N- mmota525 on tumblr asked: A hayaryuu dancing fic?**_

 _ **Okay I love a good dance AU. So let's pretend that rather than being schoolmates, the members of the babysitting club and their friends are all part of the same dance studio.I played with the timeline a bit too, in this story the Kashima brothers have been living with Morinomiya for a few years, and are slightly aged up. I should probably clarify that I have two left feet irl and all my dancing knowledge comes from Wikipedia and 'So You Think You Can Dance?' Hopefully this is still good!**_

Kashima Ryuuichi was a dancer down to his very soul. He loved letting the music wash over him, envelop him and guide his fluid movements. His classes at the local studio were the highlight of his week, and he took any chance to practice. Saikawa-san, the family butler-secretary-person (after all this time, Ryuuichi was still not entirely sure of the man's position) had a video of him dancing around with a mop while he was helping clean the kitchen which his Obasan would never admit to watching when she needed to lift her spirits. The style didn't matter to him. He'd try anything, practice until he dropped, so long as he just got to keep dancing. He needed dance like other people needed food or sleep. Sometimes it was the only thing that kept him going.

Ryu's class was labelled 'versatile' on the studio pamphlet since it consisted of people who either didn't have a preferred style or simply wanted to experience as many different dance forms as they could. Lead by the strict but kind Yamamoto-sensei, it was every bit the grab-bag of lessons the name suggested. Sometimes it was a formal class with guest instructors who focused on one particular style, a new one every month. Other times it became a peer lead lesson, with the students trading tips on the styles they were familiar with. Still, other days, Yamamoto-sensei would play a song on repeat and let each student choreograph their own routine, mixing and melding different styles to their hearts' content. Ryu loved every minute of it.

XXX

Ryu dashed into the studio locker room, his heart thrumming with excitement. He was fifteen minutes early, but he doubted that he would be the only one. Today was a pretty important day, after all. He quickly shoved his outdoor shoes into his locker, pulling on his preferred slip-ons. His bag quickly followed the shoes, and he hurried to the studio room.

The members of Morinomiya dance studio's versatile program (someone who probably thought they were being clever had started calling them verses, and unfortunately the name stuck) were a diverse bunch, coming from various dance backgrounds and each with their own way of expressing themselves through the music. Ryu grinned at his classmates, most of whom, true to his prediction, had already arrived. Inomata Maria, a rigid, rule conscious girl with a background in ballet was warming up by the barre. She had joined the verse class on the recommendation of her ballet instructor, an effort to loosen her up. With her came Ushimaru Yuki who was listening to something with heavy beats on her phone. A little shy and easily flustered, it had been quite a surprise when the girl had taken to hip hop like a duck to water. She paused her music to give Ryu a small wave, which he returned.

Yagi Tomoya and Nezu Chuukichi were off to the side helping each other with stretches. Yagi liked to call himself a contemporary dancer, which apparently meant he mixed and matched his favourite parts of different styles into every one of his choreographies. Nezu on the other hand was a tap dancer who picked up other dance forms with annoying ease. Both of them nodded in his direction. Ryu also spotted Usaida Yoshihito lurking in a corner. While he wasn't an official member of the verse class, Usaida tended to sit in on the lessons more often than not. He claimed it was to give his mind a break from the housewives that attended the Zumba class he taught in the afternoons.

Then Ryu spotted him. Kamitani Hayato. Stoic, frank, and just _really cool_ , Kamitani was a baseball player who took the dance class as a way to stay in shape during the off season and just stuck with it. He and Ryu didn't speak much, though they knew each other peripherally, since both their younger brothers were in the same grade school as well as the kiddie-choreography class the studio offered. Kamitani was intimidating, to say the least, but Ryu found himself drawn to the other boy regardless. He swallowed as he watched the boy limber up. No one had any right to look that attractive in an old sweatshirt and track pants. Ryu shook himself out of that (useless) train of thought and moved to start his warm ups. He traded a nod with Inui Hiroyuki, who had joined the class because Sawatari-san had taught a ballroom class in May and was too embarrassed to quit after her lessons were over, before shrugging off his jacket and launching into his warm up stretches, resolutely looking in any direction but Kamitani's.

10 minutes into his warm-up the last few of his classmates trickled in, followed by Yamamoto-sensei, clipboard in hand. Her entrance caused the entire energy of the room to shift to one of nervous anticipation, and she beamed at them all, gesturing them to gather around.

"As you all know, the Annual Programme is coming up soon." she said, her soft voice spreading through the room.

There was a hushed murmuring among the students. This was it. Every year the studio put on an Annual Programme to show-off the skills of the various students. Each class had a series of paired or group performances that showcased the talents of all the students. But what was really exciting was the opportunity to perform solo, an honour that was only given to four students from each class. The verse students, more than those from the other classes, coveted the opportunity. Most of the more… focused dance classes considered them to be flaky since they didn't stick to one particular style, and the annual programme was a chance to prove them wrong. Each year the verse students came up with choreographies that were increasingly complex, both physically and emotionally, to fight their undeserved reputation.

Yamamoto-sensei smiled kindly, sensing the determination that radiated from her students. "So first," she said "Let's talk pairs. I've chosen your pairs and the style you'll be dancing keeping in mind your various strengths and weaknesses. I hope you'll find this experience both challenging and rewarding. I want you all to try your best, and show everyone at Morinomiya studio what this class is made of."

"Yes Sensei!"

Sensei looked down at her clipboard "First we have Inomata and Ushimaru. Girls, you'll be doing a contemporary routine." Both girls nodded, though Inomata looked nervous. Ryu figured she would have been more comfortable with some kind of waltz.

"Yagi and Nezu, you'll have a Broadway routine." Yagi beamed and Nezu inclined his head in acknowledgement. Part of Ryu was curious as to how the steady and solemn boy would do with the lively dance.

"Inui and Nekota, the Viennese waltz." The two refused to look at each other, despite nodding at sensei.

"Usokawa and Honda, Jazz." Usokawa stole a glance at the petite girl he'd been paired with. She grinned at him mischievously, and he gulped nervously.

As sensei went further down the list, Ryu mentally crossed people out in his head. Finally, she came to his name, and he gulped. There was only one person left to pair with.

"Kashima and Kamitani, Salsa." Ryu felt himself flush. Latin dances were something very new for him, and he was just getting the hang of it. Plus they felt so… intimate. He might not survive prolonged exposure to Kamitani in such close proximity. He heard Kamitani grunt in acknowledgement, so he quickly nodded.

"Now," said Yamamoto-sensei with exaggerated solemnity "for the moment we've all been waiting for."

A nervous chuckle spread through the crowd. Ryu crossed his fingers. Being the adopted grandson of the studio chairman didn't guarantee him anything after all. This would be his sixth Programme, and he had yet to have a solo performance.

"This year, the solo performances for our class are going to Nezu, Ushimaru, Kamitani and Kashima. I think that the four of you have really put your all into your work this year, and I'd like others to see what you can do." Ushimaru looked shocked, and even Nezu and Kamitani seemed pleased. Ryu thought he was going to faint. He felt himself tear up a little at the pride in her voice, and resolved to justify her praise.

"Now," sensei said clapping her hands "I want you to take the rest of the day to discuss your partnered routine. Try to get to know each other better if you don't already. I want each pair to meet me individually before they leave so that we can talk choreography and song choice."

"Yes Sensei!" said the class in unison, before breaking into their designated pairs. Ryu found Kamitani and gave him a hesitant smile.

"So salsa, huh?"

"Yeah."

"Ever done it before?"

"No. You?"

"Um… briefly? I get a little self-conscious…"

"Okay."

Ryu groaned internally. So much for getting to know your partner. This would probably end in disaster.

XXX

"So boys," Yamamoto-sensei looked between the two standing in front of her. "Any idea what you want to do for the Salsa routine?"

"Well… not really." Said Ryu sheepishly.

"A song, at least?"

" _Not_ Despacito." said Kamitani firmly.

Sensei laughed. "Well that's a start." She hummed thoughtfully. "Well I think I'm going to assign you to Usaida-san."

Ryu's mouth dropped open, and he was sure his surprise was mirrored on Kamitani's face.

"Close your mouths boys, Yoshihito may be a Zumba teacher now, but he was a junior Latin dance champion. I think he'll be the best person to help you out."

Ryu and Kamitani traded a dumbfounded look, making sensei laugh again. "Alright you two, get out of here! And practice hard. I expect great things, you know."

"Yes sensei!"

"We won't let you down." Kamitani added, a determined glint in his eye. Ryu had to look away, and tell himself that the fluttering in his chest was purely nerves.

XXX

 _Six weeks until the Annual Programme_

Usaida was surprisingly not useless. He started by sitting the boys down and having them listen to a variety of songs, helping them narrow down on one they both liked.

"If you can't decide, I'm making you dance to Copa Cabana." He warned, before starting the playlist.

Ryu had liked the first song with its slower, guitar based melody, but Kamitani had vetoed it, claiming it was too boring. He liked the next one, but Ryu could already hear the sensual undertones in the song and there was no way he was doing that on stage. Like this they vetoed song after song, and Copa Cabana was soon three songs away from becoming a depressing reality. The next song came on, and Kamitani got a strange glint in his eye and a slow smile spread across his face. Ryu could feel his head bopping along to the staccato beats, and his foot began to tap on its own accord.

"This one." They said together as the song neared its close. Usaida grinned, as though he'd guessed this would be the one they choose.

"El Albanil it is." He gathered up his belongings. Give me a day or two to figure out a choreography. Until then, maybe you both should give a thought to your solo routine." The man shot them a thumbs up, which they took as their cue to leave. He was already humming the opening notes of the song and moving his hips in a speculative manner. Ryu nearly skipped out of the door with a renewed excitement towards this routine.

XXX

 _Five weeks and four days until the Annual Programme_

For the next two days Usaida texted both the boys with a series of slightly worrying questions such as _Can you do a split?, On a scale of 1-10, how easily do you get dizzy?,_ and _What's your shoe size?,_ which in Ryu's opinion was the most bizarre of all. By the third day, he was itching to see the finished routine, so he was delighted when Usaida texted: _It's done, come to studio C at 12:30._

Ryu thanked his lucky stars he didn't have any afternoon classes on Wednesdays, and was quick to respond with a series of exclamation points and emojis.

When he arrived at the studio, only Kamitani was around. He gave him an excited smile, and was pleasantly surprised when the other boy returned it. Ryu had to calm the flush that tried to rise to his cheeks. Kamitani had a _really_ nice smile.

They started their warm-ups in awkward silence, and Ryu could feel Kamitani's eyes on him as he stretched. Just as he was about to ask him what the problem was, Usaida hurried into the room, Sawatari-san hot on his heels.

"Sorry I'm late, _someone_ took an hour and a half to get ready." he said, shooting Sawatari-san a playful glare.

"Not everyone can just roll out of bed and head to work like you, Yoshihito." she said sweetly.

"I came out to have a good time, and honestly I'm feeling so attacked right now."

Sawatari-san smirked at him, and he rolled his eyes before turning to the boys.

"You two know Sawatari-san. I borrowed her from Inui and Nekota to help with this routine."

"We negotiated a trade. Borrowed implies that you're not going to be helping me teach my pair."

"Fair enough."

Ryu swallowed a smile at their antics. "So does this mean one of us will be taking a female role in the dance?" he asked instead.

"No we've choreographed this keeping the two of you in mind." said Sawatori-san "It'll be best if we show you. We can alter it as we go along, make it simpler if we need to."

"We won't need to." said Usaida confidently, hooking up his phone to the speakers. He and Sawatari-san stood next to each other, both facing the right-side wall of the studio.

"Kamitani, start the music, and pay attention to me. Ryu, focus on Yukari."

From the very first beats, Usaida was moving, undulating his body and stepping out towards the imaginary audience, Sawatari-san just behind him. From that moment on the two were in sync. Usaida grabbed Sawatari-san's hand and pulling her into a dip. They spun, and twisted and jumped, not standing still for a moment. Ryuuichi watched them move, eyes wide, afraid that if he blinked he'd miss something important. They finished the routine with a flourish, Sawatari-san facing the audience, connected to Usaida only through their linked hands.

"So," said Usaida, sounding casual despite his heavy panting "that's basically it."

 _Oh my god._ thought Ryu _There are so many spins._

"Are you sure we can't make it simpler?" asked Kamitani, and Ryu was gratified to see that he wasn't the only one intimidated by the routine.

"You'll be fine!" said Usaida with a grin. "You've got us helping you out after all!" He clapped his hands.

"Okay, Kamitani you're going to be doing what I did, and Ryu, you'll be doing Yukari's part. We'll start from the top and take it slow, don't worry." He pulled something out of his bag. "Here, both of you put these on." He handed each of them a pair of formal-looking shoes.

"It'll help if you practice while wearing the right footwear, so you can get used to it. Ryu, I've given you a bit more of a heel to make up for the height difference between you and Kamitani."

Sure enough, upon further inspection, Ryu's shoes did have a slightly larger heel.

"Thanks I guess." he said pulling on the shoes and trying to find his balance.

"Great!" said Sawatari-san with a grin "Let's take it from the top."

XXX

 _Four weeks and three days until the Annual Programme_

"Kamitani you're too stiff." said Usaida with a sigh "move your hips more, like this." His body moved as though a shockwave had passed through him. Kamitani mimicked him.

"Looser."

Kamitani tried again.

" _Looser_."

Kamitani glared and tried again.

"Good, now keep that up for the rest of the song. Let's take it from the top."

Ryu moved back into position.

"Oh, Kashima!" called Sawatari-san before Usaida could play the music "try to stay on your toes while you're spinning or you'll trip over your heels again. And keep your leg higher on that one spin, it looks more dramatic that way."

Ryu turned red at the reminder of the last three times he'd tripped, but nodded nevertheless. Usaida started the music once more and they went through the routine again. When it was over, they glanced at Usaida for feedback.

"Better, but still room for improvement."

Both boys groaned. They took a small break to grab a drink of water.

"Kamitani-kun" said Sawatari-san suddenly "could you maybe smile more?"

"I am smiling!"

"Hmm… there needs to be more expression on your face. Maybe instead of smiling, try for a smoulder."

Kamitani looked bemused "Smoulder?"

"Just imagine you're trying to seduce the girl of your dreams."

Ryu choked on a mouthful of water, and noticed that Kamitani's ears turned bright red.

"I- I can try."

"Great!" she said with a smile.

"If Kamitani goes with a smoulder, then he and Ryu will be mismatched though." said Usaida "No offence Ryu, but I don't think that you can smoulder to save your life."

"None taken."

Sawatari-san looked thoughtful "Ryu, try look a little more shy maybe?" the she shook her head. "Shy isn't the right word. You need to be a bit more… coy."

"What does that mean?"

"For now, try making your smile smaller and look up through your eyelashes once in a while, we'll go from there." She looked suddenly inspired "Or even better, just imagine Kamitani is seducing you and you're playing hard to get!" she said, sounding delighted.

Ryu thought he could power a small village with the force of his blush, but he nodded, refusing to meet Kamitani's eye.

"You know," said Usaida speculatively "that could work. Let's take it from the top."

XXX

 _Three weeks and four days until the Annual Programme_

"Something's off." said Usaida looking and both boys, who were lying flat on their backs, panting. They'd improved a lot since last week, with only a few stumbles in their steps, which, considering the speed at which they were dancing, Ryu counted as win.

Sawatari-san nodded in agreement with his statement. "It's like you two don't know each other well enough, so you're putting up a wall between yourselves and it's coming through in the dance. The steps are mostly right, but there's no feeling behind them."

"Right." said Usaida, sounding exhausted "Take the rest of the day off. You two are going on a date."

Ryu shot up into a sitting position, and stared at him. " _What!?_ "

"A date. You two. Now. Go down to that family restaurant down the road and have a cup of coffee or something. By tomorrow I want whatever awkwardness is between you two to be gone." He pulled them off the ground and practically shoved them out the door.

The walk to the family restaurant was awkward, to say the least. Ryu longed to break the silence, but his mind was blank. They chose a quiet booth in the back, and Ryu picked up the menu, just to have something to do. It was nearing lunch-time anyway. Kamitani started tapping his fingers on the table. The waitress was with them within a few minutes, and the coffee was poured soon after, and then Ryu had no excuse not to look at Kamitani.

"Nice shirt, where'd you get it?" said Kamitani suddenly, referring to his faded rainbow unicorn t-shirt. The unicorn was wearing sunglasses, and the words "Can't touch this" were stamped across the top.

"Thanks, Saikawa-san and Obasan got it for me when I came out to the family in high school." He replied absently as he stirred sugar into his drink. His eyes flicked across the table and he noticed that Kamitani had frozen. His mind chose that moment to replay what he'd just said, and he had to resist the urge to face-palm. _"Nice going Ryu."_ He thought to himself _"You can barely have a conversation with the guy and you've already outed yourself."_ It wasn't like he was closeted, he was wearing a rainbow unicorn t-shirt for crying out loud. He just wasn't explicitly vocal about it.

"This… isn't going to be a problem, is it?" he asked tentatively, taking a sip of the hot coffee in front of him in an effort to hide his face. If the routine got scrapped because it turned out his hot partner was a homophobe, Ryuuichi was going to actually cry. Kamitani shook his head hurriedly, looking flustered.

"Not at all."

"Good. That's… good."

"Me too, by the way."

Ryu choked on his coffee. "I'm sorry, _what_!?"

Kamitani's lips, quirked upwards.

"I too am incredibly gay."

"Oh." _OH._ Ryu threw his head back and laughed.

XXX

 _Three weeks and two days until the Annual Programme_

The rest of their date, as Usaida insisted on calling it, had gone well. They spoke about how they got into dancing ( _"It seemed like a good idea in between baseball seasons. I liked it, so I stayed."_ ), their college classes ( _"Advanced organic chemistry is honestly the best class I've ever taken, but the modern lit class makes me want to shoot someone"_ ), and their younger brothers ( _"Yeah, he's kind of an idiot, but he's not so bad I guess"_ ), and by the end of the afternoon, the stilted awkwardness between the two had disappeared. Usaida claimed it made a noticeable difference in their dancing. There was just one small problem.

If Ryu had thought knowing Kamitani better would make playing coy easier, he was sadly mistaken. _Just imagine Kamitani is seducing you and you're playing hard to get!_ The words tended to pop up in his mind at inopportune moments. It was much more comfortable playing the role when he thought the other boy was straight. Sawatari-san had been right in saying that Kamitani would be better off "smouldering" than smiling, and it was suddenly too easy to get his hopes up when Kamitani looked at him with a heated glance.

"Much, much better boys, I think we're done for today." Called Sawatari-san, looking at Usaida for conformation. He nodded and she beamed. "Looks like the coffee worked, huh?"

"What can I say, I'm a genius." said Usaida with grinning at the boys.

Both Ryu and Kamitani rolled their eyes at that, and Usaida let out a mock offended huff.

"Rude." He turned back to Sawatari-san "Do you think it will work with Inui and Nekota?"

She shook her head in exasperation. "With those two, we might have to lock them in the studio until they sort themselves out."

Ryu heard Usaida laugh in response as he left the studio with Kamitani, who gently bumped his shoulder.

"Any idea what you're going to do for your solo?" he asked

Crap. Ryu had been so busy working on the salsa that he hadn't even given a thought to his solo. He shrugged sheepishly.

"Nothing yet. You?"

"Probably hip hop or street funk."

Ryu glanced at him in surprise. While Kamitani wasn't bad at hip hop, there were several other styles he was stronger in. He noticed the look, and twitched his shoulder upwards.

"I wanted a challenge. Figured Ushimaru could help me out. Besides," he coloured a little "Taka's been going on and on about these hip hop videos he's been watching on YouTube and I couldn't get it out of my head."

Ryu smirked at him. Whether he'd admit it or not, Kamitani really wanted to look cool in front of his brother.

"Kamitani, you're really just a big softie, aren't you?"

"Shut up Kashima."

XXX

 _Two weeks until the Annual Programme_

The good news was they had finally perfected their pairs routine. Usaida had taken their measurements and muttered something about sequins, before flipping open a sketchbook to work on their costume designs. This now left their afternoons free to work on their solos.

The bad news came in two parts. First was that he still had no idea what he wanted to do for his solo. He knew Kamitani was leaning towards street funk, and Ushimaru and Nezu would likely stick to their preferred styles of hip hop and tap. Ryu wasn't sure he wanted to choose a style. He really didn't even have an idea behind the routine. He wasn't sure what he wanted to prove. The second part was that he'd been seeing a lot less of Kamitani. Most of his time not spent in classes was taken up in the small apartment he shared with his younger brother, either trying to figure out his routine or catching up on coursework. They did meet occasionally for a meal or to accompany their brothers on a playdate ( _"Ni-chan it's not a playdate, we're in second grade now, we're just hanging out!"_ ), but it was a far cry from seeing each other nearly every day.

Ryu had gotten so used to Kamitani's presence that meeting him so rarely made his chest hurt with a kind of hollowness, as though a piece of him was missing. When they did get together, their meetings often ended far too soon for his liking, a stab of disappointment piercing him each time. He didn't know if Kamitani was equally effected, but a small, selfish part of him really hoped so.

XXX

 _One week and 6 days until the Annual Programme_

"Can I ask you something?" Kamitani was playing with the straw in his iced tea.

"You just did, but I'll let it slide." said Ryu, grinning when he groaned in response.

"How come Usaida calls you Ryu when he calls me Kamitani? Were you and he-" he trailed off awkwardly, and it too Ryu a moment to really understand where he was going with that thought. When the penny dropped he gagged a little.

"What! God no. He's some ten years my senior! I've just known him for a while. He's worked for Obasan for as long as I've known her, and he used to babysit Kotaro sometimes. Plus he's sort of friends with Saikawa-san, which technically makes a friend of the family."

"Oh, I just figured you guys had some kind of history, sorry." If he didn't know any better, Ryu would say Kamitani sounded relieved. Before he could stop himself, he opened his mouth again.

"If you want, you can call me Ryu too. A lot of my friends do." he said casually. It wasn't exactly a lie. He was technically friends with Usaida and Kotaro. He risked a glance at Kamitani, and found him looking surprised but pleased.

"Then call me Hayato"

Ryu grinned, and the answering smile, small and shy as it was, nearly made his heart stop.

XXX

 _One and a half weeks until the Annual Programme_

"Ryuuichi have you decided what you'll be doing for your solo?"

The piece of steak he'd been eating went down the wrong way, and he began to cough. His brother passed him a glass of water, which he took gratefully.

"Thanks Kotaro." he gasped before glancing at his Obasan, and quickly looking away. He loved her a lot, and after he and Kotaro moved out after he found his apartment she made them promise to come around for dinner at least once every two weeks. It was a promise he was more than happy to keep. Despite her kindness however, she was still as crotchety as she had been when she'd adopted them in his eighth grade, and he was certain he was about to get another tongue lashing.

"Not yet, Obasan."

"Hmph. You'd better get a move on, there's not much time left."

"I know, Obasan, but I just don't know where to start!" He ran a frustrated hand through his hair, not able to stop speaking once he's started. "There are just so many things I've learned, and so many things I want to do. I don't want to let sensei down, and I want the other classes to see that Verse students are just as good as them. I want to impress Haya- I mean, I want to impress the audience I-"

He was cut off by a sharp pain in his leg. Obasan had poked him in the thigh with her cane under the table. He gulped.

"Ryuuichi have you learned nothing in all these years in my studio?"

"Umm…"

"What's the most important thing about dance? It's not technique or even talent in the long run, is it?"

He slowly shook his head, feeling a weight lift from his shoulders at her world.

"Try to remember why you dance, Ryu, and everything will fall into place." She went back to cutting her steak.

Why did he dance? Because he had to. Because his skin felt too tight if he didn't. Because it reminded him of his parents. Because his Obasan had given him a chance. Because of the look of quiet awe Kotaro would give him when he practiced in the apartment. Because of the way Sensei smiled when he got a particularly difficult step right. Because of how Usaida and Sawatari-san had pulled him into a group hug at the end of every practice. Because of the way Kamitani looked at him when the moved perfectly in sync. Because he loved to dance. It hit him all at once what he was going to do. He'd need to call Ushimaru after this.

He was pulled out of his train of thought by a light tug on his sleeve. He turned to see Kotaro looking up at him with a smile.

"Don't worry Ni-chan, I'm sure Kami-chan will like your dance no matter what."

Ryu could feel the heat creeping up his neck, and had to stifle a groan when Obasan perked up at Kotaro's words.

"Thanks Kotaro." He said weakly, patting his beaming brother on the head, mentally preparing himself to deal with the interrogation that would surely follow.

XXX

 _6 days until the Annual Programme_

Their costumes were ready and they were gorgeous. Hayato's shirt was a glittery royal blue that shined silvery under the light, paired with dark grey slacks that flared outward at the bottom. The shirt was a deep v-neck that left part of his chest exposed, with long sleeves that also flared out slightly. Ryu's was a deep crimson long-sleeved shirt with a false vest created with gold sequins. Like Hayato's it was also a deep v-neck, and was paired with similar pants, though his were white in colour.

Usaida had insisted that the two try them on and go through the routine once to make sure everything fit properly and was comfortable. Ryu's mouth had gone dry when he saw the way the pants hugged Hayato's muscular legs. The routine had gone off without a hitch, and the costumes fit like a dream. Usaida looked beyond pleased as he made them pose so that he could click some pictures.

"Okay you two, I'll be back soon. Get changed quickly. I'll have the costumes dry cleaned and ready to go for the big day." he said, before leaving the room, cell phone pressed to his ear, letting the door swing shut behind him.

Hayato immediately began stripping off his shirt, and Ryu squeaked and turned away before he could get distracted by the way the muscles in his back moved as he pulled off his shirt. He quickly changed out of his costume as well, realizing only after he'd removed his clothes that while his joggers were neatly folded on the bench next to him, he'd forgotten to take his t-shirt out of his bag. Which was currently next to Hayato. Too afraid to turn around, in case the other boy was still changing, he inched his way backwards. It was a brilliant plan, and would have worked if he hadn't tripped over his dance shoes on the way there. He fell backwards, closing his eyes and bracing himself for impact, when his back collided with something firm, and warm and very much not the floor, stopping his descent. He tentatively opened his eyes to see a very worried Hayato. A distant part of his brain told him that they must look like the cover of a cheap romance novel, Hayato clad only in his costume pants holding Ryu, dressed only in his joggers, in a dip, but most of him was focused on the face in front of him; the way his eyebrows were furrowed in worry, and how his eyes seemed to be made up of a kaleidoscope of greens and yellows.

"Are you alright?" Hayato asked, still making no move to set him back properly on his feet.

"Y-yeah, I'm okay. I just need to um, grab my shirt." he squeaked.

"Oh, right."

Hayato pulled him into to a standing position, and Ryu hurriedly grabbed his t-shirt from his bag.

 _Oh my god._ he thought as he pulled it on _I am so screwed._

XXX

On the day of the Annual Programme, Ryu couldn't eat. Even the thought of eating made him want to vomit. Both his and Kamitani's solos would come before their Salsa, and he wasn't sure whether it was a good or bad thing. In addition their routine would be the one that ended the show, which did nothing to sooth his nerves. He forced himself to drink half a bottle of Pocari Sweat, made sure Kotaro had packed the costume for his group routine with the Kiddie Choreography class, and headed to the studio.

After dropping Kotaro off with Taka and his other friends, Ryu began hunting for Hayato. He found his partner in a green room, listening to something on a pair of large headphones. He smiled when he saw Ryu.

"Ready for today?" he asked

"Ready as I'll ever be." Ryu replied, pushing down another wave of nerves. Hayato stood, clapping a hand on his shoulder.

"Let's go grab a seat in the front. Taka made me promise to watch his group dance."

The Programme started on time, because Obasan, if nothing else was a stickler for punctuality. First went the casual classes. The kids had put on a performance to a mashup of cartoon openings, which was so cute that no one minded the few missteps that occurred. Ryu clapped until his hands smarted and Hayato gave Taka and Kotaro a thumbs up. Taka was so overwhelmed that he burst into tears on stage, much to his brother's embarrassment. It was followed by a small performance by the Zumba class which made Ryu marvel at how Usaida had managed to handle three separate choreographies in the last six weeks. The senior ladies followed it up with a traditional fan dance, before the hip hop class took the stage. They were followed by Jazz, Contemporary, Ballet, and Folk. Ryu watched the performances in awe. He had to acknowledge that they were all excellent, but the idea of practicing the same style over and over again just didn't sit comfortably with him. All too soon it was time for the Verse performances to take the stage. Hayato grabbed his arm and jerked his head towards the green room. Ryu smirked. It was time to show these people what the Versatile Class was made of.

Inomata and Ushimaru were the first to take the stage. Their contemporary dance was powerful yet sad, and as he watched from the wings Ryu could see the way they worked to blend the grace of Inomata's ballet background with the staccato movements of Ushimaru's hip hop as they became puppet and puppet master on stage. The performances seemed to pass in a blur. Inui and Nekomata's elegant Viennese Waltz managed to move some of the audience members to tears, and Ushimaru's solo combining ballet and hip hop got a standing ovation and made Inomata turn scarlet. Then came Hayato's solo. Ryu slipped into the auditorium so that he could watch it up close.

Tinny beats played as Hayato walked on stage dressed in a black tank top and ripped jeans, with a plaid shirt tied around his waist and baseball cap jammed on his head. The beat became heavy, followed by violins. Ryu remembered him saying that he had to go with the instrumental version of some English song because the lyrics were questionable. As soon as the violins started, Hayato was moving, each motion quick and sharp as though he was locking himself into place, yet fluid in transition from one step to the next. He had control of every part of his body, from head to toe, as he danced with his eyes blazing and a smirk playing on his lips. He caught Ryu's eye and winked. Ryu thought he might faint. The song came to a close, and Hayato walked off, popping the collar of the shirt he'd put on at some point in the routine. A cheer came from the audience, and Ryu was sure he could hear Taka screaming about how cool his big brother was. He dashed backstage and caught up with Hayato outside the green room.

"That was amazing! You were amazing!" he yelling, pulling Hayato in for a hug. The boy froze for a minute before hugging him back tightly and whispering a gruff thanks.

"Ryu I-" Hayato started to say, and Ryu was hit with a sudden panic. The atmosphere was too serious, and he just knew Hayato was going to say something that would make him cry, though whether it would be out of joy or sorrow was under debate. Ryu was too scared to find out.

"I need to change." he blurted out "for my solo." He slipped into the green room, shutting the door on a very confused Hayato.

He could hear the audience clapping along to Usokawa and Honda's jazz routine as he leaned his head against the cool doorframe. Next was Nezu's solo, and then his own. He gulped. He'd put everything he had into this routine. Practicing for hours in his apartment and in the studio with Ushimaru. Each movement had to be deliberate yet fluid and natural. He needed to be calm. By the time he left the green room, Nezu had started his solo performance. As he had expected, it was a tap routine, but it was far livelier than his usual fare. Ryu could see Yagi grinning in the audience while he recorded the act and knew who pushed the quiet boy out of his comfort zone. The song drew to a close and Nezu stripped off his jacket, throwing it into the audience and dancing off the stage even as small tussle broke out between several girls who were vying to catch it. The fight was broken up by Yagi, who simply picked the jacket out of a girl's arms with a smile, and it was suddenly Ryu's turn.

He walked on stage as the first few notes of the piano began, standing at the centre with his hands clasped and his head down. He'd elected to wear an oversized long sleeved white t-shirt and his favourite pair of black joggers. He knew he probably looked small standing in the centre of the stage, but that didn't matter. He was here to show everyone why he danced.

The lyrics started and his hands shot upwards on their own accord. He'd practiced this so many times that his body was moving on autopilot. He found Kotaro in the audience, who, despite seeing the routine a million times while Ryu was practicing, was watching with his eyes wide as though it was the first time. His little brother had always been his anchor, his motivation to get up in the morning and keep getting up no matter how many times he fell.

He kept dancing, his arms and legs, fingers and neck moving in sharp staccato, in position for only a second before moving on to his next step. His father used to dance his mother around the kitchen at dinner, both of them laughing, and used to clap and cheer when he used to make up his own routines as a little kid. They were rarely home but when they were the house was always filled with music and laughter. When they died, dancing became a way to keep them in his memory.

He folded his hands in prayer and gave a short sharp bow, before opening out into a spin. He spotted Obasan off to the side, with Saikawa-san sitting behind her, video camera in hand. It was her first time seeing the routine in full, and she had a handkerchief pressed to her eyes. Obasan who had taken in two boys who had no connection to herself. Who'd made him work in the studio after classes and signed him up immediately for lessons when she caught him practicing alone in an empty studio. Saikawa-san who was always there with a hot meal and an encourage word, who had accepted him without question. They had become his family.

He dropped to the floor, using his momentum to keep rolling. He caught sight of Usaida, standing with Sawatari-san and the rest of his classmates. Usaida had had his back ever since he started at the studio. Even now, he shot him a quick thumbs up, despite the fact that he was blinking suspiciously often. His classmates looked equally proud, and his heart swelled, thinking how lucky he was to have friends who were always ready to pull him up.

He jumped forward, tuning in the air as he did. There, right in front of the stage, was Hayato, already dressed in costume, watching him with his mouth open and a strange expression on his face. The boy who'd become one of his closest friends in only six weeks. Who'd worked with him, laughed with him, and on one memorable, alcohol infused occasion, cried with him. The boy that he wanted something more with, if he'd have him.

The song drew to a close, and he moved backwards, staring up at the ceiling with his hands clasped in front of him as the song faded out. There was a beat of dead silence, before wild cheering broke out. He held himself together long enough to give a deep bow, before making his way back to the green room and promptly bursting into tears. He felt a pair of strong arms envelop him and heard low, choked voice in his ear.

"You were so good, Ryu."

He wrapped his arms around Hayato's waist and sobbed into his shoulder while the other boy just held him. When the tears stopped flowing, they reluctantly broke apart. Hayato handed him a bottle of water.

"Drink this and get changed, we're up after Yagi and Nezu." He started out the door, before pausing, hand on the door frame, and leaning back into the room.

"Remember how Sawatari-san told me to practice my smoulder? What she asked me to pretend, I mean?"

"How could I forget?" asked Ryu, pleased to hear his voice wasn't choked up anymore.

"Well, I've always been thinking of you, from day one."

With that Hayato left, closing the door behind him, and leaving Ryu alone with his thoughts.

 _Just imagine you're seducing the girl of your dreams_. Ryu slammed a palm to his forehead. They were both so _stupid_. He put on his costume as quickly as he could and made it back to catch the tail end of Yagi and Nezu's Broadway routine. Nezu was dressed like a delinquent and had a basket on his head, Yagi was wearing a suit and bowtie with a towel around his neck, and both were in the middle of a very impressive tap routine. Ryu decided not to question it, the audience was cheering and that was what mattered. He stood with the rest of his classmates, most of whom patted him on the back and told him great job, and when Nezu and Yagi took their bow, Usaida and Sawatori-san clapped them on the back, and practically pushed them on stage.

Ryu's mind was churning as his body moved on its own accord. He was dipped backwards, spun foraward, and braced for a split all in the first moments of the routine, yet his mind was replaying every interaction between Hayato and himself since the day they began working together. Hayato's intense stare bored into him, and Ryu looked away, suddenly having no trouble playing coy. He clasped Hayato's hand tightly as he spun with one leg lifted high. He was going to kill the boy for dropping this on him just before they had to go on stage. And then he was going to kiss the daylights out of him.

The routine finished with him facing the audience, connected to Hayato by their linked hands. The audience was cheering, but his heart was pounding too hard for it to register. They bowed and made their way into the green room.

As soon as the door shut, Ryu grabbed Hayato by the collar and pulled him down to meet his lips in a kiss, distance lessened by the dance shoes Ryu still wore. Their noses bumped and their teeth clacked awkwardly, but it was forgotten after a little adjustment. Hayato melted into the kiss, letting out a low groan, his hands moving to fist Ryu's hair. They finally broke apart when the need for air became too much.

"By the way, you stupid string bean," gasped Ryu "me too."

"What?" asked Hayato, genuinely confused.

"I too have been incredibly gay for you since day one."

Ryu could see the exact moment he remembered their conversation during their "date" at the restaurant. A slow smile spread across Hayato's face, and he met it with one of his own, before pulling the boy back down for another kiss. Later, they'd go out and give congratulations and receive some as well. They'd hug their classmates and shake hands with well-wishers. Obasan would insist they all go out for dinner, Usaida and Sawatari-san included, and Ryu would ask Hayato and Taka to come along, and it would be wonderfully awkward, filled with exhilarated laughter, pointed questions, and tentative touches under the table. But that would come later. For now, he was happy to have the echoes of applause in his ears and the taste of Hayato on his lips.

 _ **A/N- My goodness this wasn't supposed to be this long, the idea just ran away with me. I may continue it with the other couples at some point. No disrespect to Copa Cabana, but I've had that song in my head all week and I would like it to stop pls and thanks. As always, I'm taking prompts. I'm bards-against-hoomanity on tumblr. The usual terms and conditions apply (no adult/minor, no smut). It may take me a while to get to them though since I have a bit of queue and college work is picking up.**_

 _ **If you want to see the routines that inspired this, they're on my profile!**_


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